When people find out I work at Marin Humane a common question asked is, “Isn’t it sad working there?” The reality is that yes, on occasion, there are sad situations — a dog that’s been terribly neglected, a low-income senior who can’t afford to feed her beloved cat, a litter of puppies dumped like trash.

But the fact is, not only do wonderful stories vastly outnumber the bad, but more and more, we’re able to turn those sad beginnings into happy endings.

I recently asked our staff and volunteers what some of their favorites shelter stories from this past year are. In the spirit of Christmas, I thought I’d share a few with Tails of Marin readers:

• Casper, a 2-year-old terrier, was found in San Rafael. He was dragging his back legs and it was feared he’d been hit by a car. Despite this, when he arrived at Marin Humane, his tail was wagging and he was friendly and affectionate. Casper was fitted with a wheelchair and took to it right away. Meanwhile, veterinarians discovered he had a severe spinal infection. Shelter veterinarian Anne Miller was determined to get him walking and fostered him in her home. Casper became fast friends with her other two dogs and in particular, with her 4-year-old daughter (with whom he slept every night). He’s now continuing his recovery at San Quentin as part of our Pen Pals program, where he was matched with a non-violent inmate with whom he lives. Soon, this little wonder will be available for adoption.

• Dash, a 3-year-old cat, was brought in by his guardian for euthanasia. She told our staff that he needed an expensive surgery and didn’t have the funds to pay for it. After learning more about her situation and consulting with veterinarians, Marin Humane paid for the surgery and Dash came home to his mom, healthy and happy.

• Lily, a 6-year-old poodle mix, was surrendered to the shelter with little background given. It was evident the little dog had eye problems, and shelter veterinarians quickly concluded she had a painful, degenerative condition that would require the removal of both her eyes. Needless to say, Lily was confused and scared but with a lot of TLC from both shelter staff and a foster home, she started to adapt and became the happy, affectionate dog she was meant to be. But would someone adopt a dog with no eyes? Yep! We found the perfect match for Lily in her adopter who fell in love and quickly learned how to care for a blind dog. She’s thriving in her new home in San Bruno, has a doggie sister and is even attending scenting classes.

• Perry, a 4-year-old, long-haired black cat, was brought in by a woman who’d been feeding him for two years and thought he was feral. He had no identification or microchip, so he was housed in our feral cat room to await evaluation for placement as a “Career Cat.” Career cats are semi-feral and often adopted by those with large properties or barns and serve as eco-friendly pest control. But it was clear to shelter staff that Perry was an affectionate, loving boy who’d do well in a home. It took three months but Perry eventually found one and is now home for the holidays in San Rafael.

And let’s not forget the many heartwarming examples of generosity we see every day. The ones which particularly inspire me are the kids from throughout Marin who raise money for Marin Humane through bake sales and lemonade stands, or even ask for birthday and bar mitzvah presents in the form of donations. The selflessness of these young people in our community truly gives me hope.

Lisa Bloch is the marketing and communications director at Marin Humane which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animal-related questions and stories about the people and animals in our community. Go to MarinHumaneSociety.org, Twitter.com/marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane.org.